Amalgamator.



A. JQSMITH & H. W. KENT.

AMALGAMATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1907.

961,905, Patented June 21,1910..

. U Y 615' fizz/67250735 & i AZz'c wm' UNTTED STATEB PATENT @FFTQE. Q

ALICE J. SMITH AND HENRY W. KENT, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNORS TOKENT ORE REDUCTION COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFARIZONA TERRITORY.

AMA'LGAMATOR.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALICE J. SMITH and HENRY V. KENT, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee andState of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements inAmalgamators, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus foramalgamating ores.

It consists in the elements and features of construction illustrated anddescribed as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings :Figure l is a vertical axial section of an apparatusembodying the structure and adapted for the use of the processconstituting this invention, the pulpsupply pipe being broken away nearthe apparatus. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the pump for supplying thepulp, and the discharge pipe therefrom, which is the supply pipe shownbroken away in Fig. 1.

The purpose of the apparatus shown in the drawings is to cause dischargeof the pulp to be treated in relatively fine jets into the bottom partof a body of mercury, A, contained in a tank or receptacle, B, andheated to preferably the boiling point of water, as by a steam jacket,C, extending under and encompassing the bottom part of the tank orreceptacle up to the desired height of the mercury therein, whereby thepulp is forced into the mercury instead of having mercury forced into itor permitted to pass into it by gravity. The pulp thus forced into themercury rises through it by reason of its lesser specific gravity, andis also dispersed throughout the mercury by the ebullition of the watercoming in contact with the hot mercury, causing the mercury to beagitated and the pulp to be even more thoroughly subdivided and diffusedthrough the mercury than it would be by merely being discharged into itin small jets, as stated. The receptacle B is provided with an overflowopening, A near the top at which the water and lighter refuse passesout, other overflow or draw-off connections, A and A being provided, thefirst almost immediately above the level of the mercury,-that is, thelevel at which it stands when cold and settled,and the others,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 21, 1910.

Serial No. 885,915.

A ,one or moreintermediate this level and the highest overflow level. Atthese different levels below the highest overflow, there may be drawnoff the different concentrates which result. The gold and silver amalgambeing heavier than the mercury settles to the bottom and accumulates ina the discharge pipe, D, connected at such central opening and extendingthrough the steam jacket, C, and provided with a con trolling valve, Dbelow the latter. For discharging the pulp in small jets into the lowerpart of the body of n'iercury, as de scribed, it is preferred to employa conical discharge head, E, having a multiplicity of small pipes, F,extending off from it in all directions diverging laterally anddownwardly and terminating very near to the bottom of the receptacle, B.Preferably, this conical discharge head has its upper diametersubstantially equal to its slant height, so that an axial section is anequilateral triangle; but the precise form is not essential, except as ameans of obtaining the largest area for connection of the dischargepipes, F, consistent with a given capacity of the head. The dischargehead is closed at the top by a cap, G, which has a central opening forthe supply pipe, H, through which the pulp is discharged by direct pressure from a suitable pump, such as the rotary pump, T, adapted to affordpressure exceeding that which will be developed in the tank, B, when thelatter is full to the height of the overflow, A

It is important for the most efficient operation of the structure forits purpose that the pump, T, should be located as short distance aspossible from the tank and discharge head so that the minimumopportunity may exist for the pulp to settle before it is delivered intothe discharge head, the desirable condition being that the pump shouldreceive the pulp at as short distance as possible from the point atwhich it is last mixed with water, and that the pulp should be kept insuch condition of agitation that no settling can possibly occur until itis delivered through the discharge head. This important characteristicof the relation of the pump to the discharge head is indicated in theclaims by specifying the pump as i proximately connected with thedischarge iead.

For distributing the pulp and preventing it from being projected to thebottom of the discharge head, which might tend to cause the accumulationof heavier fragments at the bottom, it is preferable to employ a bafiieplate or distributer, K, suspended under the discharge mouth of thesupply pipe, H, a short distance below the top of the head, the platebeing approximately half the diameter of the hopper at the level atwhich it is thus suspended, so that the pulp discharged on the plate anddeflect-ed thereby is delivered from the margin thereof against theinclined sides of the head along which any part undischarged through thepipes, F, may descend for further opportunity of discharge through thepipes lower down.

In order to dissolve the slimes and free the metal particles from thecoating usually of greasy material which defeats the attack of themercury, and to clear the mercury itself from that coating, there isprovided a small pipe, L, entering through the side of the pipe, H, andextending downward axially therein, and terminating a very shortdistance above the center of the baffle plate, K. This pipe is connectedwith a pump, represented conventionally at M, whose illtake, the pipe,0, leads from a tank, J, containing a suitable solution for the purposestated. The piston, N, of the pump, M, may be operated in any convenientmanner, as by abelt around the pulley, P. The interior of the tank, andboth the interior and the exterior of the discharge head, E, and pipes,

F, and preferably, also, the baffle plate and its supports, arethoroughly enameled to protect them against the attack of mercury. Thetank, B, may be covered or left open, as preferable, at the annularportion around the top of the pulp hopper, E.

It is preferred to support the discharge head, E, and its feed pipe, H,and connected with a horizontal section, H by a T-fitting,

horizontal element of the T, and with a hook parts, in such manner thatthe head and all said connected parts may be lifted bodily from the tankwhenever the latter is to be cleared of its contents or cleansed; andfor that purpose, the final downwardly extending section, H, of saidsupply pipe, is connected H whose unused opening may be closed by aplug, H and this T-fitting is carried in a sling, consisting of twolinks, H, H, engaged respectively with the two ends of the on the end ofa suspending chain or cable, represented by the last link thereof, U,which may be understood as extending over a pulley, not shown, andconnected with any suitable hoisting means, not shown, for lifting theentire suspended parts, the horizontal coupling flanges, /2, which maybe detached to permit the structure to be lifted. The pipe, 0, issimilarly detachably coupled at (){for the same purpose.

The important advantages of this structure may be partly understood fromthe foregoing, but may be particularized as being: first, the conductingof the pulp without opportunity for settling into, and its dischargewithin, a body of mercury; and this is to be distinguished from itsdischarge into such body, for the purpose to be efiected is to cause thefirst contact of the pulp with the mercury at a suflicient distancebelow the top of the mercury body and at a point where it is completelyenveloped by the mercury to insure it as long a path as possible throughthe mercury in rising to the top of the latter, and also to insure thedistribution of the pulp definitely throughout the body of mercury, sothat for each particular portion of the discharge,that is, that which isdelivered through each particular discharge pipe,there shall be adefinite portion of the mercury body ready to receive it and act uponit, and this cannot be effected when the pulp is merely discharged intothe mercu'ry,-th'at is, injected into it from the mouth of any dischargepipe 'or nozzle outside the mercury body,but can only be effected whenthe pulp is conducted down into the mercury body, as by the intrusion ofthe discharge pipe therein, so that it is positively led or forced andguided,'and in that sense conducted, to the point of its dischargewithin the mercury as near the bottom thereof as possible withoutdefeating the proper discharge of the pulp; second, that the path ofeach portion of pulp which is thus conducted into and discharged in themercury, from the point of its discharge to the surface of the mercury,is obstructed by the discharge pipes, diverging laterally anddownwardly, so that the pulp is compelled to take a circuitous courseand thereby is kept longer in contact with the mercury. The obliquearrangement of the discharge 7 pipes is the means by which this path isobstructed and the circuitous course compelled; third, the samearrangement of the discharge pipes makes them constitute a completeguard or fend-er interposed between the amalgam which accumulates at thebottom of the mercury and the upper surface, so that the stealing of theamalgam by spooning it out which would be an easy matter in the absenceof such protection, is rendered practically im possible, or so difficultthat a very ordinary amount of watching will prevent it; fourth, theprovision for withdrawing the discharge entire tank accessible after theconcentrates and refuse have been drawn ofi down to within a very shortdistance of the level of the mercury, makes it possible to completelyclean the mercury down to a clear surface by skimming the thin layerwhich may be left in thus drawing off the concentrates, and which isleft only for the purpose of avoiding the waste of mercury which mightresult from attempting to draw off the concentrates down too close tothe level of the mercury; and this having been done, the amalgam andmercury being drawn ofi through the bottom by opening the valve, D thecustomary wringing process can be employed to separate the mercury fromthe amalgam, the mercury being then recovered in a perfectly pure stateand the amalgam also free from dross. The advantages of this over anymechanism in which it is possible for the mercury to be partly floatedaway will be obvious; fifth, with a depth of four inches of mercury in atank twelve inches deep, the quantity of mercury is adequate forattacking and engaging the precious metals contained in the pulp of therichest quality, so that no precious metal will ever be lost for lack ofsuflicient mercury to hold it in the passage of the pulp through it. Thesufiiciency of the quantity of mercury indicated may be appreciated uponconsidering that a depth of a half inch of gold amalgam in the bottom ofthe fourinchdeep mercury body, leaving seveneighths of the mercury stillquick, will amount to one hundred thousand dollars value in eachrunning, and if the apparatus is therefore cleaned up whenever a halfinch of amalgam is accumulated,that distance being left below the end ofthe discharge pipe with this intention,-the frequency of the step in theprocess consisting of cleaning up will constitute a negligible elementin the expense of the operation; sixth, the mercury being heated to acomparatively high temperature, preferably the boiling point of water,is in such extremely fluid state that the metal in the pulp dischargedwithin it is instantly attacked, the mercury having no tendency toglobule upon the surface of the grains containing or consisting of theprecious metal, and as a result, practically all the precious metalvalues will be extracted if the pulp has been reduced to sufficientlyfine condition to expose the metal. The solvent delivered through thepipe, L, at the center of the pulp as it enters the discharge head, isthoroughly diffused throughout the entire body of pulp and performs itsfunction of cleaning every grain of it before it is conducted into themercury; and its delivery within the mercury follows so promptly afterthis cleaning that there is no opportunity for the greasy material tore-accumulate. A sufficient quantity of the solvent being supplied,which may be graduated according to the condition of the pulp,that is,as to quantity and character of the slimes which it contains,there willbe an excess above the amount necessary to clean the pulp which willoperate to clean the mercury also, such excess being delivered with thepulp through the pipes, F.

We claim:-

1. An amalgamating apparatus comprising a receptacle for the mercury andpulpto be treated; a downwardly feeding discharge head having amultiplicity of relatively small discharge pipes diverging downward andopening for discharge of the pulp Within the mercury space near thebottom thereof in the receptacle, and directly acting and pulsatingmeans for supplying agitated pulp under pressure to such discharge head.

2. An amalgamating apparatus comprising a receptacle for the mercury andpulp to be treated; a discharge head intruded into the receptacle saiddischar e head having downwardly convergin sides and pro vided with amultiplicity of relatively small discharge pipes projecting offdivergently from said converging sides and distributed substantiallyover the entire area of said sides and terminating for discharge nearthe bottom of the receptacle within the mercury space thereof forconducting the pulp to its discharge within the mercury body the outertier of said pipes terminating in close proximity to the wall of saidreceptacle, and means for supplying pulp under pressure to the dischargehead.

3. An amalgamating apparatus comprising a receptacle for the mercury andpulp to be treated; means for conducting the pulp into the lower part ofthe receptacle for discharge within the mercury body, said meanscomprising a multiplicity of pipes disposed above their discharge endswith transverse or lateral trend for screening and obstructing access tothe bottom of the receptacle.

4. An amalgamating apparatus comprising a receptacle for the mercury andpulp to be treated; a discharge head having a multiplicity of relativelysmall discharges opening within the mercury space of the receptacle forconducting the pulp to and delivering it at points below the mercurylevel; a pulp discharge pipe leading into the top of said dischargehead; a baflie plate within the head opposed to the discharge mouth ofthe pipe; and means for supplying the pulp under pressure through suchpipe for discharge against the baffle plate.

5. An amalgamating apparatus comprising a receptacle for the mercury andpulp to be treated; a downwardly feeding inverted conical pulp dischargehead having a multiplicity of relatively small discharge pipes openingwithin the mercury space near the bottom thereof in the receptacle and'i distributedover substantially the entire area of said bottom, suchdischarge head being otherwise closed; and a force pump connectedproximately with the discharge head for forcing the pulp positivelythereinto for discharge therefrom.

6. An amalgamating apparatus comprising a receptacle for the mercury andpulp to be treated ;a discharge head intruded into ,the receptacle, saiddischarge head having downwardly converging sides and being providedwith a multiplicity of relatively small discharge pipes projecting offdivergently from said converging sides and form ing a screen above theirdischarge ends in the path of rise of the material discharged forobstructing and deflecting the material rising through the mercury tothe surface thereof.

7. An amalgamating apparatus comprising a receptacle for the mercury andpulp to be treated; means for conducting the pulp into the lower part ofthe receptacle for discharge within the mercury body, said meanscomprising a multiplicity of pipes disposed with transverse trendthroughout their 1ntrusion into the mercury space, and extended by suchlateral trend as a screen above substantially the full area of thebottom of the receptacle.

8. An amalgamating apparatus comprising a receptacle through the mercuryand pulp to be treated; a discharge head having a multiplicity of smalldischarges opening with downward and lateral trend within the mercuryspace, the discharge head being otherwise closed; a force pump connectedproximately with the discharge head for agitating and forcing the pulppositively thereinto for discharge therefrom through such multiplicityof small discharges.

9. An amalgamating apparatus comprising a receptacle for the mercury andpulp to be treated; a discharge head intruded into the receptacle havingdownwardly cons verging sides and being provided with a multiplicity ofrelatively small discharge pipes projecting from and distributed oversubstantially the entire area off said converging sides and terminatingfor downward dischar e within the mercury space of the receptacle, thedischarge head being otherwise closed; a force pump connectedproximately with the discharge head for forcing the pulp positivelythereinto for discharge therefrom through such multiplicity of smalldischarge pipes.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands, respectively, atMilwaukee, \Visconsin, this 19 day of July, 1907, and at Chicago,Illinois, this 18 day of July, 1907.

ALICE J. SMITH. HENRY W. KENT.

Witnesses for Alice J. Smith:

JAMES P. BROWN, ELLA M. PRESTON. Witnesses for Henry IV. Kent:

CHAS. S. BURTON, M. GERTRUDE ADY.

